Daily Sudoku

Jack Allen, former Jackson County commissioner and Jackson County Board of Education employee, responded this week concerning articles that appeared in The Clarion on Wednesday, August 23rd and the North Jackson Progress on August 28th, 2017 about the Jackson Co Board of Education votes on personnel issues.

Allen said, “In your article, you said that Sam Houston was a teacher for 12 years and a principal for 10 years at North Jackson, he was also an assistant principal there so the number of years you included are incorrect. Your article stated that he was placed at Paint Rock Valley after his resignation from principal at NJ and that is misleading. Houston was not placed by the board. There were two principals that resigned and the superintendent actually brought the other principal before the board for placement, but the superintendent never brought Houston’s placement before the board for a vote. Why was the placement necessary in the first place? Your article states Houston’s teaching position was cut and that is incorrect. Teacher units are based on the previous year’s enrollment and Houston was not moved there until March, so how do you lose a position that was never there to start with. The former principal at PRV taught history a portion of the day and resigned in November; Houston took over in March, so what happened to the students from November to March? The superintendent knew that position was gone, so why didn’t he move Houston to one of the positions posted at the end of the year? Why did he wait until almost all the positions were filled before trying to place Houston? Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but I take offense to Duke’s comments about Houston’s experience. I have taught in Jackson Co for 34.5 years, I actually taught for 7 years at the Alternative School (no one else that applied had any experience there), and I have never had to resign a position. I have left every school where I taught in good standing. His implication in your article was that Houston was needed there because of his principal experience. There has not been a man at that school that was a principal since the 2008-09 school year, so why is that experience needed now unless it is to help a friend? I also take offense to Dukes comments about the board. He stated that board members are elected to vote based on his recommendation, keeping in mind what is best for the children of the system and not to choose who or make suggestions as to who is hired. Those board members are elected to represent their constituents and if they don’t believe the person the superintendent recommends would be best for the students it is their right to vote no. I believe they voted in the best interest of the students. If the public is not happy with their vote they can vote against them in the next election, and they can do the same with the superintendent. The good ole boy system is still alive and well in Jackson County.”The Clarion article Allen references concerns the Jackson County School Board voting against the placement of Houston at the Alternative School and Houston’s conversations with board members after the vote.